Sports Club Wearable Retention Device

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to the field of retention devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sports club wearable retention device that creates an attachment between users and their equipment, reducing the risk that a user&#39;s equipment accidently flies out of their hands if they lose their grip on said equipment. The device is primarily comprised of at least one strap, at least one tether and at least one clamp. The tether features two clips fastened to each side of the tether. In this manner, the tether attaches to the clamp, which is fixed on the club, and to a strap that the user wears. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S.Provisional Application No. 63/289,223, which was filed on Dec. 14,2021, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of retentiondevices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sportsclub wearable retention device that creates an attachment between a userand the equipment, reducing the risk that a user's equipment accidentlyflies out of his or her hands if they lose the grip on said equipment.The device is primarily comprised of at least one strap, at least onetether and at least one clamp. The tether features two clips fastened toeach side of the tether. In this manner, the tether attaches to theclamp, which is fixed on the club, and to a strap, which the user wears.Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto.Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the presentinvention are also equally applicable to other like applications,devices and methods of manufacture.

BACKGROUND

Engaging in different types of sporting events is a fun and enjoyableactivity for many people. However, as one ages, or the aggressiveness ofa sport increases, it may become more difficult to retain control overthe different clubs, bats, sticks, etc., that may be used in each sport.For example, a golfer may unintentionally release his or her grip on aclub on an aggressive swing, especially if the golfer suffers fromcertain ailments, such as arthritis and neuropathy. This may result inthe club being erratically thrown, which may result in a myriad ofmishaps. For example, a golf club may fly through the air and injureanother player, be lost in a nearby pond or creek or damage part of thecourse. These risks make it less likely for someone with saidaforementioned ailments to play golf confidently. Similarly, someplayers may be forced to reduce their swing speed, and consequently,their distance. Beyond the sporting arena, many other professions risklosing their equipment due to poor grip strength, such as constructionworkers and their tools and fishermen and their fishing rods. Without abetter mechanism to retain control of their equipment, their work maysuffer and there may be an increased risk of mishaps.

Therefore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a sports clubwearable retention device. There also exists a long-felt need in the artfor a sports club wearable retention device that prevents a sports clubfrom flying out of a user's hands. Moreover, there exists a long-feltneed in the art for a sports club wearable retention device that isdurable enough to maintain secure attachment when considerable force isapplied during a swing. Lastly, there exists a long-felt need in the artfor a sports club wearable retention device that is detachable andoptimized for universal use on different sports clubs and objects.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodimentthereof, comprises a sports club wearable retention device. The deviceis primarily comprised of at least one strap, at least one tether and atleast one clamp. The clamp is further comprised of a first curved memberand a second curved member, wherein both members fit around thecylindrical shape of most clubs or other sporting objects. The device ispreferably manufactured in a lightweight and durable material that isstrong enough to maintain a secure attachment to the club and forearm orwrist of a user without interfering with a user's natural swingingmotion. The device may also be optimized to fit other sporting objectsand may feature decorative indicia on the wristband strap to enhance thedevice's appearance. The strap features a loop that receives one end ofthe tether while the clamp features a ring that receives the other endof the tether. The tether may be attached to these two points via twoclips attached to each end of the tether.

In this manner, the sports club wearable retention device of the presentinvention accomplishes all of the foregoing objectives and provides amechanism to mitigate the risk that losing one's grip on a club willresult in certain mishaps if it flies out of one's hand, such as losingone's club, damaging one's club or injuring another player. Further,because of the customizability of the clamp and fasteners, the sportsclub wearable retention device can be universally fixed to all sportingclubs and to all forearm sizes.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summaryis not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its solepurpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as aprelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodimentthereof, comprises a sports club wearable retention device. The deviceis primarily comprised of at least one strap, at least one tether and atleast one clamp further comprised of a first curved member and a secondcurved member. The clamp is preferably manufactured in a lightweight anddurable material and can be optimized to fit different kinds of clubs,sporting objects and even tools. The tether is generally coiled in shapeand is preferably made out of an elastic material. Each end of thetether features a metal clip. One end of the clip may attach to a clampthat is fixedly or removably attached to a club while the other end maybe attached to a wristband strap. The wristband strap is preferablyfixed with a metal loop that receives the clips and at least onefastener so that the wristband strap may be adjusted to the forearm sizeof each individual user.

When the device is deployed for use, the user will not risk losing hisor her club in the event that they lose grip on the club during a swing.The tether forms a connection between the user and the club so that theclub will always be connected to the user's person even though the useris not holding the club. The clips allow for an easy detachment andsubsequent attachment to the next club that the user may need to use. Inthis manner, a user will always be able to engage in sporting activitieswithout the fear that losing grip on their clubs will result in damageto either the club, the course or other players.

Accordingly, the sports club wearable retention device of the presentinvention is particularly advantageous as it allows a user toaggressively swing a club or other object without a high risk that thatclub or other object will accidentally fall out of the hand and be flungthrough the air. Moreover, the device may be optimized to fit any othertype of sports club, bat, stick, etc. Lastly, because the sports clubwearable retention device is manufactured in lightweight and durablematerials, the device can withstand considerable stress withoutinterfering with the user's natural swinging motion. In this manner, thesports club wearable retention device provides a novel solution for anexisting problem.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certainillustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein inconnection with the following description and the annexed drawings.These aspects are indicative, however of but a few of the various waysin which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and areintended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Otheradvantages and novel features will become apparent from the followingdetailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description refers to provided drawings in which similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and inwhich:

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of asports club wearable retention device of the present invention attachedto a right hand in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of asports club wearable retention device of the present invention attachedto a left hand in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

FIG. 2 illustrates an enhanced perspective view of one potentialembodiment of a sports club wearable retention device of the presentinvention in accordance with the disclosed architecture; and

FIG. 3 illustrates an enhanced perspective view of one potentialembodiment of a sports club wearable retention device of the presentinvention in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, whereinlike reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout.In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovationcan be practiced without these specific details. In other instances,well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form inorder to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments arediscussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are describedonly to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are notintended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limitthe scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment neednot have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in otherembodiments, any of the features described herein from differentembodiments may be combined.

As noted above, there exists a long-felt need in the art to for a sportsclub wearable retention device. There also exists a long-felt need inthe art for a sports club wearable retention device that mitigates therisk that a club will cause damage if unintentionally released from auser's hands when swinging. Moreover, there exists a long-felt need inthe art for a sports club wearable retention device that can withstandthe considerable force applied to it when the club is swung. Lastly,there exists a long-felt need in the art for sports club wearableretention device that can be customized to fit different sports clubsand objects.

The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is comprised of asports club wearable retention device. More specifically, the device isprimarily comprised of at least one strap, at least one tether and atleast one clamp. The clamp is comprised of a first curved member and asecond curved member, which allows the clamp to be fitted around a clubor other sporting object. The tether is preferably coiled in shape andmade out of an elastic material. A metal clip is fitted to each end ofthe tether. The clip on one end of the tether may be attached to theclamp, while the clip on the other end of the tether may be attached tothe wristband strap. The wristband strap features a metal loop thatreceives one of the clips. The strap also features at least one fastenerso that the strap can be adjusted to the forearm size of each individualuser.

When the sports club wearable retention device is deployed for use, auser may swing the club freely without the risk that losing a user'sgrip on the club will result in losing the club itself. The tether formsa connection between the user and the club so that the club will alwaysbe connected to the user's person, even though the user is not holdingthe club. After a swing, the clips allow for an easy detachment andattachment to the next club that the user may need to use. In thismanner, a user will always be able to engage in sporting activitieswithout the fear that losing grip on the clubs will result in mishaps.

Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspectiveview of one potential embodiment of a sports club wearable retentiondevice 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosedarchitecture. The device 100 is primarily comprised of at least onestrap 110, at least one tether 120 and at least one clamp 130 furthercomprised of a first curved member 140 and a second curved member 150.The tether 120 is preferably manufactured with one clip 124 fixedlyattached to the first end 122 of the tether 120 and one clip 128 fixedlyattached to the second end 126 of the tether 120. In this manner, thetether 120 may be removably attached to a club 10, or any other objectthat a user may hold, via the clip 128 on the second end 126 and to thestrap 110 via the clip 124 on the first end 122. In the preferredembodiment, the tether 120 is generally coiled in shape (to reduce thelength of the tether 120 when it is not fully extended) and manufacturedin a durable and elastic plastic, but may be comprised of any plasticsuch as, but not limited to, an acrylic, polycarbonate, polyethylene,thermoplastic, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, low-densitypolyethylene, medium density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene,polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polylacticacid, acetal, nylon, fiberglass, etc.

The strap 110 may be fitted and secured around the forearm 16 and/orwrist 14 of a user and to the shaft 12 of a club 10. Once the tether 120is attached to the strap 110 with the clip 124 on the first end 122 andto the shaft 12 of the club 10 with the clip 128 on the second end 126,the user drastically reduces the chance of losing or dropping the club10. In this manner, users may swing the club 10 with considerable forcewithout the fear that the club 10 may fly out of their hands.

FIG. 2 illustrates an enhanced perspective view of one potentialembodiment of a sports club wearable retention device 100 of the presentinvention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The strap 110is generally rectangular in shape, with its length being long enough towrap around the forearm 16 and/or wrist 14 of a user. The strap 110comprises at least one fastener 112 so that the strap 110 can betightened around the user's forearm 16 or wrist 14 and secured in placeto itself. The fastener 112 is preferably a hook and loop fastener 112that allows for easy adjustment so that the strap 110 may universallyfit all forearm 16 and/or wrist 14 sizes. In differing embodiments, thestrap 110 may feature any fastener 112 known in the art such as, but notlimited to, snap-button, adhesive, string, magnetic, etc. The strap 110is preferably manufactured in a comfortable and durable fabric, but maybe manufactured from any fabric known in the art such as, but notlimited to, silk, satin, vinyl, canvas, cashmere, chenille, chiffon,cotton, damask, jersey, lace, linen, wool, modal, polyester, spandex,suede, tweed, twill, velvet, acrylic, modacrylic, nylon, polypropylene,polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, vinylidene, benzoate,aramid, rayon, acetate, triacetate, etc. Other embodiments of the strap110 may not feature a fastener 16 and instead be manufactured as onecontinuous loop whereby the strap 110 can be universally fitted to eachindividual's wrist 14 because of the elasticity of the strap fabric. Toenhance the appearance of the strap 110, the outer surface 114 of thestrap 110 may be comprised of a plurality of decorative indicia 116 suchas, but not limited to, patterns, logos, emblems, images, symbols,designs, letters, words, characters, animals, advertisements, brands,etc.

A loop 118 is fixed to the outer surface of the strap 110 so that thestrap 110 may receive and secure the clip 124 from the first end of thetether 120. The clips 124, 128 may be manufactured from any metal orplastic known in the art. The loop 118 is preferably manufactured in thesame material as the clips 124, 128, but may be manufactured from anymetal, plastic, or fabric material. The clips 124, 128 may be any cliptype known in the art such as, but not limited to swivel-eye snap hook,fixed-eye snap hook, slide-bolt spring-snap clip, spring-snapcarabiners, etc.

FIG. 3 illustrates an enhanced perspective view of one potentialembodiment of a sports club wearable retention device 100 of the presentinvention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The clip 128 onthe second end 126 of the tether 120 may be attached to a clamp 130 thatmay be fixedly or removably attached to an object such as, but notlimited to, a golf club 10. The clamp 130 is preferably comprised of afirst half and a second half that wrap around each side of the shaft 12of the club 10. The first curved member 140 of the clamp 130 isgenerally half cylindrical in shape and is designed to fit around mostrounded shafts 12. The first curved member 140 is fused to the firstbracket 142. The first bracket features at least one fastener 160 andthe first ring opening 144. The second curved member 150 of the clamp130 is generally half cylindrical in shape and is designed to fit aroundmost rounded shafts 12. The second curved member 150 is fused to thesecond bracket 152. The second bracket 152 features at least onefastener 160 and the second ring opening 154. Both the first curvedmember 140 and the second curved member 150 may be optimized indifferent embodiments to fit differently shapes and sizes of shafts 12that may be founding on sporting equipment, tools or other similarobjects of the like.

The first curved member 140 and the first bracket 142 may be fittedaround the shaft 12 and fixedly or removably attached to the secondcurved member 150 and the second bracket 150. These two pieces may thenform one secure clamp 130. The first fastener opening 144 and the secondfastener opening 154 are preferably designed to form the clamp 130through the use of at least one fastener 160 such as, but not limitedto, screw, nut, bolt, magnet, etc. When the two pieces are joinedtogether, the first ring opening 144 and the second ring-opening 154form a continuous ring-opening where the clip 128 on the second end 126of the tether 120 may be attached.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claimsto refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the artwill appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature orcomponent by different names. This document does not intend todistinguish between components or features that differ in name but notstructure or function. As used herein “sports club wearable retentiondevice” and “device” are interchangeable and refer to the sports clubwearable retention device 100 of the present invention.

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the sports club wearable retention device100 of the present invention and its various components can be of anysuitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affectingthe overall concept of the invention, provided that they accomplish theabove-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that the size, configuration and material of the sports clubwearable retention device 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrativepurposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the sports clubwearable retention device 100 are well within the scope of the presentdisclosure. Although the dimensions of the sports club wearableretention device 100 are important design parameters for userconvenience, the sports club wearable retention device 100 may be of anysize, shape and/or configuration that ensures optimal performance duringuse and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplaryembodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. While the embodiments described above refer to particularfeatures, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments havingdifferent combinations of features and embodiments that do not includeall of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the presentinvention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modificationsand variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with allequivalents thereof

What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subjectmatter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivablecombination of components or methodologies for purposes of describingthe claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art mayrecognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimedsubject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter isintended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variationsthat fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in eitherthe detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to beinclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising”is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sports club wearable retention devicecomprising: a strap; a tether; a first clip; a second clip; a clamp; anda fastener.
 2. The sports club wearable retention device of claim 1,wherein the strap attaches to the tether via the first clip.
 3. Thesports club wearable retention device of claim 1, wherein the clampattaches to the tether via the second clip.
 4. The sports club wearableretention device of claim 1, wherein the clamp is further comprised of afirst half and a second half that are secured to one another via thefastener.
 5. The sports club wearable retention device of claim 4,wherein the fastener is a screw, a nut, a bolt, or a magnet.
 6. A sportsclub wearable retention device comprising: a strap further comprised ofa loop; a clamp further comprised of a first half and a second half; atether; a first clip attached to a first end of the tether and the loop;a second clip attached to a second end of the tether and the clamp; anda fastener.
 7. The sports club wearable retention device of claim 6,wherein the strap is elastic.
 8. The sports club wearable retentiondevice of claim 6, wherein the loop is manufactured from a metalmaterial.
 9. The sports club wearable retention device of claim 6,wherein the tether is elastic.
 10. The sports club wearable retentiondevice of claim 7, wherein the tether is coiled.
 11. A sports clubwearable retention device comprising: a strap further comprised of aloop and a first fastener; a clamp further comprised of a first halfcomprising a first curved member, a first bracket, a first ring opening,and a first fastener opening, and a second half further comprising asecond curved member, a second bracket, a second ring opening, and asecond fastener opening; a tether; a first clip attached to a first endof the tether and the loop; a second clip attached to a second end ofthe tether and the clamp; and a second fastener.
 12. The sports clubwearable retention device of claim 11, wherein the first fastener of thestrap allows the strap to be tightened.
 13. The sports club wearableretention device of claim 12, wherein the first fastener is a hook andloop fastener, a snap-button fastener, an adhesive fastener, a stringfastener, or a magnetic fastener.
 14. The sports club wearable retentiondevice of claim 11, wherein the first clip and the second clip are aswivel-eye snap hook, a fixed-eye snap hook, a slide-bolt spring-snapclip, or a spring-snap carabiner.
 15. The sports club wearable retentiondevice of claim 11, wherein the second clip attaches to the clamp viathe first ring opening and the second ring opening.
 16. The sports clubwearable retention device of claim 11, wherein the second fastenersecures the first bracket to the second bracket.
 17. The sports clubwearable retention device of claim 16, wherein the second fastener is ascrew, a nut, a bolt, or a magnet.
 18. The sports club wearableretention device of claim 11, wherein the tether is elastic.
 19. Thesports club wearable retention device of claim 18, wherein the tether iscoiled.
 20. The sports club wearable retention device of claim 11,wherein the first curved member and the second curved member are halfcylindrical in shape.